In pictures: Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince George wave farewell to Australia

THEIR departure marks the end of 51 engagements, 12 cities and more than 20 flights across three weeks

PRINCE William, Kate and Prince George waved goodbye Down Under today after 51 engagements, 12 cities and more than 20 flights across three weeks.

The family bade farewell to a small line of dignitaries from Canberra's

Fairbairn Military terminal and boarded their Royal Australian Air Force plane for the final time to begin their 30-hour journey home to Kensington Palace.

As has been the case for the entire tour, nine-month-old George stole the show at the departure, wearing a red cardigan and red and white striped shorts, wriggling in his mothers arms and keeping up his record of not crying or smiling in public.

Instead, he simply looked around with a rather grumpy face.

He did, however, let out a yelp and turned his head as Kate said goodbye to Prime Minister Tony Abbott

The Duchess balanced him on her hip as she climbed the stairs to the aircraft before she and William turned to wave at the small crowds who had gathered at the edge of the airport.

Earlier in the day the duke and duchess had made a poignant final engagement of their visit Down Under at Canberra's annual ANZAC Day parade.

William and Kate joined crowds of tens of thousands honouring Australians and New Zealanders who have lost their lives in conflict for the final engagement of their three week tour.

The cause is incredibly close to the couple's hearts - so much so they got up before dawn to make a previously-unannounced appearance from 5am at Canberra's Australian War Memorial.

Kate, 32, in a cream scarf and black coat and black leather gloves, stood to William's right, her hands clasped in front of her as, lit only by candles and torches, they listened to the early readings which were already underway.

Pinned on his coat, William, 31, wore his two medals given for service to his grandmother Queen Elizabeth -- the golden jubilee medal and diamond Jubilee medal.

As the Last Post was sounded a crescent moon that had been barely visible above the memorial in the night sky became clearer and as the service concluded the first birds in the dawn chorus could be heard.

ANZAC derives from the acronym used to describe the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and this year is the 99th anniversary of the dawn landing at Gallipoli in 1915.

Some hours later Kate and William returned to the same spot for the official ANZAC Day parade, where Kate had changed into a blue coat-dress with a poppy brooch she had been given the night before by Emma Roberts-Smith, wife ofCorporal Ben Roberts-Smith VC.

Unusually, aides declined to release details on Kate's outfit, saying it was not appropriate at a remembrance service.

During the main service, which featured a parade of hundreds of Australian and New Zealand servicemen and women, a poignant rendition of the last post and a one minute silence to remember the fallen, Prime Minister Tony Abbott turned to William in his speech.

He said: "Long ago, we ceased to regard Britain as the mother country, but we're still family.

"Your presence, sir, reminds us of all out comrades-in-arms.

"These are the ties that bind.

"Lest we forget."

The Duke and Duchess laid posies on the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier inside the memorial's Hall of Memory.

The posies, made up of rosemary, kangaroo paw and bottle brush plants, each contained a wooden cross on which children had written messages of what remembrance means to them.